Preview: AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-finals
Ballyboden St Enda's players Cathal Flaherty, left, and James Madden celebrate with the Seán McCabe Cup after their side's AIB Leinster club SFC final win. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Saturday January 3
AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final
Ballyboden St Enda's v Dingle, SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, 3.15pm
There was a time when Dingle manager Padraig Corcoran dreamed of days like these - in a Ballyboden shirt. He was among the most promising products of the Firhouse Road club's underage system in the 1990s before relocating to Kerry after university. His mother hails from Dingle.
From leading for the entirety of their Munster semi-final win over injury-hit Mungret, to trailing for much of the final, before launching a late smash and grab at St Finbarr's expense, it was a memorable provincial campaign for Dingle.
Geaneys - Dylan, Paul and Conor - supplied 1-15 between them in that Munster final defeat of the Cork champions. Dylan Geaney was terrific in the second-half and the All-Ireland winner with Kerry will seek to hit the ground running this time. Ballyboden manager Eamon O'Reilly must account for Tom O'Sullivan's exocet runs out of Dingle's defence too.
Boden, All-Ireland winners a decade ago, have former Kerry senior Pa Warren and ex-Kingdom U-20 Michael O'Gara involved. Galway's Cein D'Arcy and former Antrim captain Peter Healy are central figures too, as is All-Star Dublin forward Colm Basquel in an attack that includes the prolific Daire Sweeney. The south Dubliners beat Tullamore comfortably in Leinster but it wasn't until the third quarters of the quarter-final win over Castletown and the final defeat of Athy that they really hit the afterburners.
Damien McArdle, left, and Gavin McPhillips of Scotstown lift the trophy after the AIB Ulster club SFC final win. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Sunday, Jan 4
AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final
St Brigid's v Scotstown, Kingspan Breffni, Cavan, 3pm
After finally emulating previous generations within their club and landing the Ulster title they craved, this bunch of Scotstown players now have the opportunity to step out on their own. The club has never won an All-Ireland title.
David McCague's crew needed extra-time to win the county and Ulster finals, and the provincial semi-final went to penalties. So they are battle hardened and proven. And strong in every line of the field, starting with goalkeeper Rory Beggan who somehow scored 11 points against Kilcoo in the Ulster final and also kept a clean sheet.
Ryan O'Toole and Conor McCarthy aren't long back from injury so the Christmas break should have helped. The Hughes brothers, Shane Carey and inter-county duo Micheal McCarville and Gavin McPhillips are all fit and firing - and yet Roscommon and Connacht champions St Brigid's are still many people's favourites.
Anthony Cunningham's side, finalists two years ago, took out both the Mayo (Ballina Stephenites) and Galway (Maigh Cuilinn) champions to claim their sixth Connacht senior title. They will be wary, however, of Kevin O'Brien's influence in the Scotstown backroom. O'Brien managed Galway's Corofin against Brigid's in the 2023 Connacht final and undoubtedly possesses a filing cabinet of information on them.
On the match-ups, will county defender O'Toole track Roscommon attacker Ben O'Carroll, or leave it to Darragh Murray perhaps? And what have Scotstown planned for Brigid's other key forward Conor Hand? Two big questions.
